1978 KZ400B - First Bike Journal

Hey hey,

I got my first bike. Lil' green bastard. There's the typical bumps and rust and bumps of a 42 year old bike, but she sounds great and it runs like a dream. 30,xxx kms.

I'm going to have to learn a lot about maintenance, messing around and fooling about. I'm sure I'll come here for help. I'm not thinking of customizing too heavy out of the gate, going to learn the feel of it and see what it wants to do, learn my way around. Doesn't look too bad as is, though. I'll keep uploading as I make progress.

-L

Welcome to KZRider
Nice Bike
I fixed your pictures. Next time hit the insert all button
Dave

Welcome aboard! I like that color. It looks like the bike was taken fairly good care of. As you say, taking care of all the oft neglected maintenance is an important first step. Check under he Articles tab here to see if there is a downloadable factory service manual for the 1978 KZ400B.

Have fun and do not be bashful about asking questions.

Welcome aboard!
One thing many KZ owners are unaware of is the fact that there are no Phillips screws on a KZ bike. Those screws that look like Phillips are not Phillips; they are Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS). Using a Phillips screwdriver on them will damage them as well as making them nearly impossible to remove. See link below for details. Ed

www.kzrider.com/forum/10-new-members/609...uy-signing-in#791293

kz400intherain wrote: Hey hey,

I got my first bike. Lil' green bastard. There's the typical bumps and rust and bumps of a 42 year old bike, but she sounds great and it runs like a dream. 30,xxx kms.

I'm going to have to learn a lot about maintenance, messing around and fooling about. I'm sure I'll come here for help. I'm not thinking of customizing too heavy out of the gate, going to learn the feel of it and see what it wants to do, learn my way around. Doesn't look too bad as is, though. I'll keep uploading as I make progress.

She doesn't look bad at all - nice find!

I like the '78 and '79 400s a bit more than the earlier models, partially because of aesthetics but also because the later years have the hard oil line running from the oil pressure switch connection up to the head. This provides better flow and lubrication.

The first mods I wanted to make on my previous '79 400 were all about safety via DOT-approved changes to lighting. I swapped out the factory turn signals for some that are much brighter than stock but still incandescent (so no monkeying around with an LED-specific flasher). The stock sealed beam headlight was replaced with a much brighter aftermarket H4 (halogen) model. Finally, I replaced the stock taillight/brake light with a really bright LED setup. The rear turn signals were relocated to brackets attached to the top license plate mounting bolts for (somewhat) improved visibility.

As part of the taillight swap I removed the chrome rear fender and mounted the new taillight/license plate assembly on homemade metal brackets so the red lights sit right at the end of the tail section bodywork.

Also, have you thought about taking a rider safety course?